Observations...

When I was 18, I went to France and was dragged to a half dozen castles, all of which looked the same after the third day. After that, I swore I would think twice before seeking out another castle. But Himeji is something else. It’s acclaimed as the most splendid castle in Japan, and after seeing it first hand, I have to agree.

We took a train to Himeji, and on the way, saw the world’s longest suspension bridge: Akashi Kaikyo. I thought of my friend Sean, who as an engineer, would certainly have wanted to stop to inspect the bridge. Once we arrived, you could see the castle from the train station. A 10-minute walk later and we were there…..

So instead of going on and on about how elegant the castle was (which is true), I will tell you what I was really thinking as we strolled throughout the gardens and took the tour inside of the castle.

I was intrigued, as I have been at every tourist destination in Japan, at the proportion of Japanese people visiting these sites. This is purely a guess but I would say that the Japanese outnumber the foreigners by 9 to 1. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “You’re in Japan, dumbass, of course there’s more Japanese people than foreigners”. My surprise lies in the sheer number of nationals who spend their time and money on these tourist sites. I often think we don’t know our own backyard. It took me almost 15 years before I went up the CN Tower, and even then, it was only because I had company from out of town! Still, this doesn’t seem to be the Japanese way. They tour around their country and take pleasure in the sites even more than foreign tourists do.

My second observation is more of a concern. Japan is the land of the rising sun, of women dressed in kimono standing beside harajuku girls on their cell phones, the land of sushi and sake…..but it is also the land of over-packaging. Everything you buy comes in an exquisite little package, which in turn is wrapped in colourful paper and tied with a bow, then placed in a box so you don’t damage its beauty, followed by a carrying bag and, sometimes, a second bag so the first doesn’t get wet on your way home. No one likes pretty packaged stuff more than women…but let’s put aside for one moment that it’s gorgeous….the Japanese don’t seem to recycle anything! Plastic bottles, paper, boxes, aluminum cans: all garbage! How can a country that is so advanced in so many other aspects not recycle? And think about it folks, Japan is a small country with 130 million people. If Toronto can’t find a place for its garbage, I am sure Japan is burning it all! REUSE REDUCE RECYCLE!!!!!!!!!!

Aside from this global warming concern (someone call Al Gore!), I love so many little things here…like when you walk into a restaurant and all the staff greet you. Yes, all of them, including the kitchen staff, and they do it again when you leave!

This is Ramen, a huge bowl of noodles served with egg, sliced pork, and bean sprouts. In Japan, it is considered good manners to slurp the noodles , to show appreciation to the chef. This was DELICIOUS!!!!!

Lastly, I am learning to pay attention….to the bikes so they don’t run me over, to the sites so I don’t get lost, to the customs so I don’t embarrass myself in a restaurant...

Here are some more random pictures to enjoy:

This is one of the places where Mike works, right beside the river. It's truly beautiful at night.

These were taken at the Ebisu Festival, around the corner from Mike's house. The fun at these festivals is eating vendor food like tacoyaki, pastries filled with custard and over-priced hot sake. The festival lasted three days.